Life As We Know It
by Renkhal
Summary: Shizuru is ostracized by her father. Natsuki lets her live with her. This is how they deal with this change. T for now, because I don't know what I'm doing with this yet.
1. Chapter 1

**So, yeah. I'm alive, for the most part. I know it's been, like six months since I've posted anything. And I apologize profusely. I've just been... Not myself, most of the time.**

**But I'm back, I think.**

**I wouldn't look for any new chapters in anything I've already got posted, because I'm kinda... lost over those right now. Like, Puppy Love? Yeah, totally lost the other two parts, so I'm gonna have to make up the other two parts. Again. And... I can't even remember the others' titles.**

**Whatever, I'll keep trying with those.**

**In the meantime, I'm back for now, and this is sort of my practice I-may-be-back-into-writing story chapter. I don't know what I'm doing with it right now, but I just... let my fingers type. Hopefully, you enjoy.  
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><p>Natsuki stared out the window and watched it fog up. There was six inches of snow outside, though it had fallen a couple days ago and the roads were now cleared up. Even most of the sidewalks were clear as the shop owners and some of the neighbors that had the ability had gotten out with their shovels and cleared what they could. Even Natsuki had helped out the day before. But today, there was nothing to do. It was winter break for school, and Shizuru was in Kyoto. Mai was with Tate's family, so Natsuki couldn't even escape to Mai's dorm to play video games with Mikoto. And she just didn't feel like dealing with Nao today with her mood already as down as it was.<p>

Turning away from the window to her TV and, more specifically, to the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 that sat underneath it on the entertainment center, she contemplated booting up a shooter game and seeing if there just happened to be some crazies online wanting to go through some missions with her. But, that meant that she would most likely have to find her headset and talk to someone to go through tactics and such. She really wasn't in the mood for talking to complete strangers. Her eyes scanned her games and stopped on one that Shizuru had convinced her to buy just for fun. She played all sorts of games, but she had never played the Zelda series, but there on her shelf was the Master edition of Ocarina and both of the Wii games for the series. Sighing, she decided to give it a shot, and started up Ocarina.

Four hours later, her eyes were glued to the screen as she fought yet another boss. She had just barely delivered the final blow when there was a knock at the door. Natsuki paused the game and walked to the door, opening it up to find Shizuru with a large suitcase behind her, her backpack on her back, and a large duffel at her feet.

"Uh, hey Shizuru, what brings you out here so soon? I thought you were spending the holidays with your family."

Shizuru just smiled sadly and looked into Natsuki's eyes. The blunette was surprised to see the emotions floating there. Sadness, anger, disappointment, and hurt were the main ones that Natsuki could see.

"I had planned on staying, but…" Shizuru hesitated, not because she didn't want to tell Natsuki but because she didn't know how to explain it. Nor could she figure out if she even could explain it.

Natsuki offered a comforting smile. "Come on it. Let's get your stuff inside and warm you up first. You can tell me when you're ready. I kind of want to finish this part of my game real quick anyway, if that's all right."

Shizuru was a little relieved. "Kannin na for interrupting your game, Natsuki."

"It's all right, I really don't mind. I'm happy to see you, actually. I only started playing this because I was bored and thinking about not being able to see you for over a week was depressing me."

"Ara, Natsuki missed me that much?"

"Yup, I did." Natsuki flashed her a grin as she picked up the duffel and motioned for Shizuru to go inside. Shizuru grabbed the large suitcase and rolled it inside the apartment. She set it in front of the door to Natsuki's guest room, something that Natsuki decided she needed after her old apartment had been destroyed and thus, when searching for a new apartment, was one of the things she looked at. She had wanted Shizuru to have a place to stay without either of them feeling pressured to sleep in the same bed when she came over. Shizuru wasn't ever fazed by them sleeping in the same bed, but Natsuki still had trouble getting used to it.

Natsuki set the duffel beside the suitcase and walked over to the couch, un-pausing her game and continuing. Shizuru set down the backpack and joined her on the couch, leaning against the blunette with her head on her shoulder. Natsuki said nothing about the intimate gesture, instead just smiling and letting her stay there while she played her game.

Shizuru was fascinated by the different things Natsuki had to do for the game. Eventually she got tired of being jostled by Natsuki's shoulder from when Natsuki needed to attack an enemy and shifted so that her head laid on the blunette's lap instead. Again, there was no complaint from the blunette as she continued to play her game.

It wasn't for a couple of hours before Shizuru spoke again.

"I told them about you," she said softly. Natsuki grunted to show she had heard. "I even told them that I was in love with you. My father, of course, was not happy so we fought. My mother was in shock and told me to just go to my room while they let it sink in. The next morning, my father dropped a file in front of me. It was full of information on you. Nothing too personal, mostly just school records and police records. You didn't have a criminal record, which actually surprised me until I thought about it. What really shocked me was your grades. Up until the year you took off from school, you were a grade A student. My father made sure to point that out, saying you had no interest in your future. I had tried to say you had other problems, and that those grades were going to turn around. He was convinced you would never amount to anything. Then he started talking about your family."

Shizuru sat up and looked at Natsuki.

"I didn't want to hear it from him, honest Natsuki. I wanted you to tell me on your own terms. I knew about your mother, obviously, but your father was a mystery to me. It never even occurred to me that he was even still alive."

"Yeah, he's just living in America working for corporate Honda," Natsuki mumbled. "He sends me money, even though I'm pretty set with what my mom left me. But I know that's all he knows to do, now that I've actually thought it over and talked to his secretary. He wasn't ready to be a father, emotionally. So he ran, but he didn't really abandon me. Mom had made Yamada my guardian, which my father never contested. So, my father goes through Yamada for communications. I talked to him last year on my birthday, since I was turning 18. He was surprised to hear I was only in my second year of high school. Ever since then, he's been making a little more effort. He called for my birthday this year, and said he'd call for Christmas." Natsuki shrugged. "He's remarried and happy. I'm doing fine on my own, so he's just checking on me to make sure I'm going to graduate and go to college. He wants to make sure that I can do whatever I want, so he's trying to plan for paying for my college if he needs to."

"He's making an effort," Shizuru said, laying her head back down. Natsuki went back to her game. "My father said that the fact that you refused to live with him meant you were too much trouble, and your school record only reflected on your lack of home discipline. He tried to forbid me to see you ever again. My mother was more forgiving. She wants to meet you, actually, though she'll never say as much to my father. She did say that she'd come visit me when I got settled when I had packed up and was on my way out. My father cut me off from their fortune, buy my mother did sneak me some money before I left so that I'd have something to start out on."

"Your mother is welcome to visit you here any time, Shizuru. She doesn't sound too bad. But, until your father starts to respect you, I don't want him coming to the apartment. He can meet you in town if he has to see you for any reason, but I don't want him to come here," Natsuki said.

Shizuru nodded and made a noise of affirmation. "And, can I stay here?"

"Of course!" Natsuki said, shocked that Shizuru would even need to ask. Shizuru giggled and looked up at the girl she loved. "You can stay here as long as you want, forever even," she added with a shy mumble and reddening cheeks as she paid very close attention to the game.

Natsuki was surprised to hear the brunette laugh, and looked down with a grin. After a moment of looking at each other, they turned back to the TV. Natsuki played a little longer until a stomach growling caught her attention. She looked down to see Shizuru blushing. Before she could tease the girl, though, her own stomach answered.

"Ara, perhaps we should find something to eat?" Shizuru suggested.

"Y-yeah, good idea," Natsuki muttered, saving her game and turning off the system and the TV before making Shizuru get up so she could get up. "What do you feel like eating? I don't think I have any food in the apartment right now, outside of instant ramen cups, but we can get whatever you want."

"I feel like eating a burger, actually," Shizuru said, surprising her blue haired friend.

"Uh, all right. Burgers it is, then."

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><p><strong>As always, reviews are like money. If you pay me, I'm more likely to keep coming back.<br>**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am sooooooo sorry for the delay. I had actually completely forgotten I had stories in the making, and then opened up My Documents on my PC and saw this chapter and flipped out. Unfortunately, that means I doubt it was as complete as I had meant it to be, but I felt bad enough for forgetting about it that I decided to publish it as is. I blame the router dying as the reason I forgot, because it died and so I didn't get on my computer as much, choosing to read fanfiction on my phone instead, and then we bought a new router and... Yeah... I am soooo sorry for this. I hope you will forgive me!**

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><p>Natsuki was staring at the ceiling. It was nine in the morning, and she'd been awake for an hour just staring. She wasn't sure if she wanted to get up yet or not, her mind still going over the night before. After she left Shizuru to unpack in the spare room to go get some food, she returned to find Shizuru inspecting her video games. They ate at the table in silence once Natsuki made some tea, the only thing she could do successfully in the kitchen other than instant noodles. Afterwards, Shizuru had shyly asked to learn how to play one of Natsuki's games, which they spent a couple of hours on before deciding to go to bed. Natsuki had expected Shizuru to have made some sort of move on her in an attempt to sleep with her, something she used to do frequently after she confessed her love.<p>

So now, at nine in the morning, Natsuki was a little confused. She had gotten so used to Shizuru's teasing behavior that she was concerned by the lack of it. She finally just shrugged it off as worry from the events that led up to Shizuru showing up in her apartment. Rolling onto her side, she closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep for a couple more hours. Her plan was thwarted when she heard the shower running. If Shizuru was awake, she may as well get up before the brunette decided to wake her up.

Walking out into the main room wearing some jeans and a t-shirt, Natsuki contemplated starting on breakfast. But, she knew Shizuru would just end up remaking the food because Natsuki wouldn't even come close to being successful. Sighing, she sat down on the couch and turned on the TV to see what was on. She stopped at the news, knowing Shizuru would want to watch it when she woke up, and then got up to make tea for the other woman.

The shower stopped running, and a few minutes later Shizuru emerged from the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her. Natsuki, not having expected this, walked out of the kitchen to greet her only to blush brightly.

"Ara, if I had known Natsuki was so eager to see me I'd have invited her to shower with me," Shizuru teased with a wink. Natsuki moved as though to speak but couldn't get any words out. Giving up, she turned to go finish making the tea. She heard Shizuru's giggles, and then a door closed. Natsuki let out a sigh of relief, her cheeks finally cooling.

Shizuru was thoroughly entertained, but chose not to do anything more than the tease she had said already. Quickly dressing in a pair of jeans and a lavender blouse, she walked back out of the room to find Natsuki sitting on the couch and a cup of tea on the small coffee table in front of the spot beside her. The blunette was focusing on the TV, probably in an attempt to steel herself for the next tease. Choosing to take pity on the girl, she sat down and picked up the tea.

"Okini," she said simply, also focusing on the TV to watch some of the news as she sipped her tea. "What shall I prepare for breakfast? Or, do you have anything in the kitchen to prepare breakfast?"

"Ah, I'm not sure. Mai did the shopping last, and I don't really do much cooking myself. I just open the fridge to get the mayo to go on my instant noodles."

Shizuru knew that already. "Then perhaps I will go shopping this morning."

"We can go after you're done with your tea and get some breakfast to kick things off," Natsuki offered. Shizuru just took a sip of her tea.

An hour later, they were sitting in a diner getting ready to eat. Shizuru had brought along a notebook and was making a list of things to buy at the store. Natsuki was trying not to deny her any of the foods, but as soon as she realized that there wasn't going to be any instant noodles or mayo on the list, she started to get a little anxious.

"Ah, Shizuru?"

"Yes, Natsuki?"

"I, uh… What about some stuff that I can cook?"

"You already said you can only cook instant noodles."

"Yeah…"

"Natsuki, you have plenty already stocked up in your cabinets. I checked. You'll live if we don't buy any on this trip, I promise you."

"And, what about mayo? I don't have a lot of mayo."

"You don't need to eat mayo on everything, Natsuki. You aren't as physically active anymore, and mayo is rather fattening. Aren't you concerned about possible weight gain?"

"Not really."

Shizuru rose an eyebrow.

"Oh, fine. We don't have to get any mayo," Natsuki agreed with a sulking expression. In her mind, though, she had added "This time" to the statement. She would buy a new bottle when she finished the three in her fridge already. And then Natsuki frowned, the thought that she might eat too much mayo actually making an appearance in her thought process.

Shizuru seemed to sense that she'd had some sort of victory and continued to write down different food items and ingredients for meals she was already planning in her mind. Natsuki decided the smartest thing she could do right now is keep quiet. Perhaps when they got to the store she could get in some suggestions for things she'd want, like snacks and the like. She'd steer away from the mayo and noodle issues, but she did like to have chips for her gaming days. And considering the mood Shizuru seemed to be in, she didn't feel safe asking for any extras at the moment.

"Does Natsuki want anything else?" Shizuru asked suddenly, eyeing the silent blunette as she inhaled the meal that had been delivered while she was writing. She took some time while Natsuki was thinking to eat her meal herself.

"Uh, could I get some snacks?" Natsuki asked cautiously.

"I suppose we could get a few snack items, so long as you're modest when you eat them."

Natsuki, who was shocked that she'd even been given permission, agreed quickly before Shizuru could change her mind and take back the agreement for snacks. Shizuru wrote down "snacks" and then turned back to her food. Natsuki ate a little slower, studying the girl in front of her.

"Is something wrong, Natsuki?"

"N-no," Natsuki said before going back to inhaling her food. Shizuru rose an eyebrow but said nothing about it. When Natsuki wanted to talk about it, she would. Besides, Shizuru was already taking liberties with the shopping. She supposed it wouldn't be too awkward for the blunette to feel a little put out or nervous about the situation. They finished their meal silently, and after Natsuki paid for the meal they moved on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yes, I know it's short. But I had a bit of a "hm, maybe..." moment and wanted to throw out a little information.**

**And, by the way, they aren't a couple. Natsuki has accepted Shizuru's feelings and wants Shizuru around, but she still hasn't figured out how strong her feelings are just yet. I hope I've conveyed that a little in this chapter.  
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><p>Once they returned to the apartment and put the groceries away, Natsuki sprawled out on the floor in front of the couch and sighed. Shizuru sat on the couch and looked at Natsuki, amused.<p>

"Do you want to call your mother?" Natsuki asked after a few minutes of silence. "She'd probably like to know you're all right."

Shizuru didn't answer right away, making the younger girl roll over and look at her.

"I… Yes, I suppose I should," Shizuru said. "Father shouldn't be home right now, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Natsuki frowned at that, but nodded and got up to grab her phone to hand her. "Better to use my phone just in case, then, yes? That way, if it's him that answers you can hang up and he'll never be the wiser."

"Unless he has your number looked up," Shizuru said, taking the phone. Natsuki shrugged and walked into the kitchen to get something to drink, making tea for Shizuru and hot chocolate for her. It was all she could do not to listen in on Shizuru's conversation.

"Good afternoon, Mama," Natsuki heard Shizuru say. "I am fine, yes… Of course, Natsuki said you would be welcome to come by at any time." Natsuki felt the corners of her mouth turn up a little. She was glad Shizuru wasn't being completely ostracized. "No, I'm afraid if Father would like to see me it will have to be someplace else. Perhaps it would be better if I met him in a few weeks when we've both had a chance to think things over more thoroughly?" That didn't sound good. Though, Natsuki told herself, if Shizuru could get back on good terms with her father it wouldn't be that bad. It's not like she'd be forced away from Fuuka once school started, so they'd still be able to see each other. "Ara, that sounds lovely! I'll be sure to tell Natsuki. Enjoy your evening, Mama."

Realizing the conversation was over, Natsuki quickly prepared the beverages and returned to the couch, handing a mug of tea to Shizuru before sipping her hot chocolate as she sat down next to her. Reigning in her curiosity, Natsuki refrained from asking about the conversation. Hearing Shizuru sigh, Natsuki glanced at her from the corner of her eye.

"I'm sorry about this, Natsuki."

"What? Why?" Natsuki set down her mug and took Shizuru's to put it down as well, making the brunette look at her. Natsuki pulled her into a hug. "Shizuru, you're my best friend, and your father is being an asshole. I've missed you, so this isn't anything to apologize to me about."

Shizuru tightened her hold on Natsuki. "Okini, Natsuki," she murmured into the blunette's neck. Smiling, Natsuki pulled back just a little and, seeing tears in Shizuru's eyes, wiped them away before reaching for Shizuru's tea again.

"Relax, okay? Everything will be fine, you'll see."

Shizuru nodded and took a sip of her tea. "I'm surprised that you weren't upset to hear that I told my parents I was in love with you. You've been rather reserved over the last six months since…"

Natsuki sighed and picked up her mug. "I'll admit, I wasn't prepared for that. But… it doesn't really bother me. And I'm sure you had a good reason for telling your parents-"

"Father was arranging a marriage for me," Shizuru told her, interrupting her and looking at her for a reaction. Natsuki's face scrunched up in displeasure, which Shizuru was expecting. However, she wasn't prepared for Natsuki to put down her mug and walk away. "Natsuki?"

"I don't understand why parents would want to arrange a marriage for their kids at our age. You're only a year into university. You could easily meet someone there within the next couple years, granted we'd have to ignored your feelings for me. Though I have to admit, I don't like the idea of having to share your attention with anyone," Natsuki admitted, her cheeks a little red at that statement. Shizuru allowed herself a small smile at that. "Still, I suppose…" Natsuki sighed and picked up a scrapbook. "I suppose my opinion of arranged marriages is a little unorthodox as well." She handed Shizuru the book. "My father sent me this, hoping I'd be interested in at least one of these guys. Sons of his friends, of people he could potentially gain business with… Not exactly the usual way to arrange a marriage, but my father isn't exactly traditional in any sense. I told him to go shove it, that I wasn't interested. He hasn't broached the subject since."

Shizuru held the book, frowning because she didn't want to see the men who could have gained the interest of her Natsuki.

"I looked through them, you know, after I told my father to shove it. There are even notes and markings about each of them. But none of them were interesting enough on paper, and not a damn one even looked attractive to me," Natsuki added as she sat back down. "Anyway, I brought it up because I wanted you to know it's not just your father. Even mine, who doesn't know anything about me except my name and date of birth, has tried to set me up with someone for personal gain."

Shizuru put the book down and leaned into Natsuki's shoulder. "Thank you," she mumbled. Natsuki just shrugged and finished her hot chocolate so she could put down the mug. "I'm not exactly thrilled to know you went shopping for a man though."

Natsuki chuckled and took the book, opening it to the first guy. "Read some of this and tell me what you'd think. Seriously, if these guys are the cream of the pot I'd rather be alone, you know?"

Shizuru read a little bit and giggled. "I see what you mean," she commented before putting the book aside. "Well, I suppose if anything you have me, right?"

"Yup, just like you'll have me,"Natsuki agreed, giving Shizuru a light squeeze on her thigh before getting up. "All right, how about a movie? I'm feeling something funny. What about you?"

"Ara, I suppose I can suffer through a comedy," Shizuru teased her. Natsuki huffed, trying to look insulted but only ending up looking more amused. "What do you have in mind?"

Natsuki just smirked. "You'll see."


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so I was reading and realized I apparently don't know my own timeline. I don't know if the rest of you noticed, but in the last chapter I had Shizuru refer to the "Carnival" as having been 6 months ago. I'm going to go with the thought that it had been early spring at that time, and I'm going to pretend that the Japanese follow American school years because I'll be less confused that way, so within a month or two of that ending was the end of the anime.**

**With this in mind, I want you to remember, Natsuki was 17 during the Carnival. I eluded to her 18th and 19th birthdays in the first chapter. So, that makes Natsuki 19 and a third year high school student. If I remember correctly, Shizuru is a year older in age but two grades higher than Natsuki, making her 20 and a second year university student.**

**This also means it's been... about a year and a half since the "Carnival."  
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><p>Two movies later, Shizuru looked over to see Natsuki curled up in the corner of the couch fast asleep. A small smile tugged at her lips before she put away the movies and turned off the TV. She glanced at the blunette again, almost hoping that she'd have woken up from that. Seeing the still peaceful face of Natsuki, she shook her head and went into the kitchen to start making dinner. During the silence of the preparation, she let her thoughts take hold and her shoulders dropped at their weight.<p>

_Natsuki is so understanding, and yet… _She paused her cutting as she prepared the vegetables for a stir fry she thought Natsuki would enjoy. Thoughts of her father's words, the things she didn't tell Natsuki, taunted her.

"_Does she love you in return, Shizuru? Would she still love you if she knew your family had ties to Searrs?"_

Shizuru's eyes closed and her chin fell to her chest as her eyes began to tear. When two arms wrapped themselves around her waist, she startled, looking over her shoulder at Natsuki. "Natsuki…"

"Whatever you're worried about, Shizuru, we can handle it together," Natsuki said, resting her cheek against Shizuru's shoulder, her face burrowed in the back of her neck. "I'll always be here for you. You're my best friend, and I love you."

Shizuru smiled, both grateful for the blunette but also saddened because she knew those three words didn't mean to Natsuki what they meant to her. Natsuki seemed to sense that, because she lifted her head and reached out to take and put down the knife before turning Shizuru around.

"What can I do for you, Shizuru?" she asked, eyebrows scrunched up as she tried to think of something. "Do you want me to face your father? I'll give him a piece of my mind, that's for damn sure."

Shizuru shook her head. "Natsuki…" Natsuki met her eyes, but Shizuru immediately looked away. Then the brunette practically fell into Natsuki, holding onto her tightly. "Natsuki…"

Natsuki rubbed Shizuru's back. "Shizuru… I wish I could take away your pain, I really do."

"I don't think you can, Natsuki."

"I'll find a way, Shizuru, I will," Natsuki swore. However, even as she said it, she knew that there was very little she could do to help the brunette. And one of those things was something she'd been fighting with for over a year. _I really do love you, Shizuru, like you love me. I just… How can I tell you?_

Eventually they managed to get dinner fixed, though the most they spoke during the preparation was for directions. And the actually eating of the meal was silent as they both fought with their own minds. After dinner and cleanup, Natsuki excused herself for a shower. Shizuru sat on the couch to watch the evening news.

As Natsuki dried herself off twenty minutes later, she looked around only to realize she didn't grab a change of clothes since she'd never had to worry about walking around naked in her own apartment before.

"Good going," she murmured to himself. Sighing, she wrapped herself up in the towel and opened the bathroom door. Ignoring the crimson eyes that she could feel on her, she turned and walked into her bedroom before shutting the door. "That wasn't… that hard…" she grumbled as she allowed her face to heat up finally.

When the bathroom door had opened, Shizuru had turned with a smile to invite Natsuki to sit with her but was distracted by the blunette's form. She wasn't sure whether she should smirk and make a lewd comment, or just be shocked at the fact that the blunette trusted her enough to walk around dressed in only a towel. In the end, she just gaped until the bedroom door was closed.

"Ara…" she managed to say. Then, a little louder, "Natsuki ikezu…"

"I heard that!" Natsuki exclaimed, causing Shizuru to giggle. The bedroom door opened, revealing Natsuki in a tank top and basketball shorts. She smirked at Shizuru. "What, didja like what you saw?" she teased the brunette, chuckling as the teased party looked down with pink cheeks. Natsuki sat next to her and pulled her into her embrace. "What are we watching?"

"Ah, current events," Shizuru said, trying to cool her cheeks but failing dramatically, since she could feel Natsuki's heat, smell her fresh scent… She swallowed hard. "They had a story about some of the celebrities at some event, but I missed most of it when Natsuki distracted me."

Natsuki heard the pout in the words and chuckled. "Well, since there's nothing exciting happening, I think I'll-" she grabbed the remote and switched it to one of her favorite action dramas "-just have to take over." Shizuru pulled away to look at Natsuki, one brow raised. "What? I like this show! I bet you haven't ever watched any of it, so hush and enjoy."

Shizuru narrowed her eyes but snuggled against Natsuki again, giving in for tonight. They watched a couple hours of TV before Natsuki yawned.

"Ara, someone seems sleepy," Shizuru teased.

"Yeah, well…" Natsuki floundered. She couldn't say that she hadn't slept well, because she might have to explain. But there wasn't really any other reason for her being so sleepy. It wasn't even ten yet, and she'd stayed up later than that on a regular basis. So, not having a good response, she just grumbled that she didn't sleep well as she got to her feet and stretched.

Shizuru frowned, trying to make sense of what Natsuki had said, but unable to because of how low and gravelly the words had come out. Pouting, she turned off the TV and also stood. "I suppose we should get some sleep…"

"Yeah… Hey, let's go to the movies tomorrow or something," Natsuki said, grinning at Shizuru. "I'll even let you pick. And, we can… um…"

"Ara, is Natsuki planning a date for us?" Shizuru teased.

Natsuki blushed, but was smiling nervously as well. "Kinda… I mean, we go out and have fun a lot anyway, but… I was trying to think of something special. I mean, you're special so…"

"Okini, Natsuki," Shizuru said, kissing Natsuki's cheek. When she pulled away, Natsuki's face was a little redder, and she smiled at the blunette, who brightened a little because Shizuru didn't look as sad anymore. "I'm sure whatever you choose for us will be great, Natsuki."

"Well, I'll try in any case. You need to have fun at least once before we have to go back to school, right?" Natsuki said. Then, she grinned. "Nevermind, I got it!" She turned to Shizuru. "I'll get everything set up, all right? And I'll give you the details tomorrow."

Shizuru was confused, but agreed.

"Great!" Natsuki gave Shizuru a hug and kissed her on the cheek before hurrying to her room. She didn't realize she had left Shizuru standing there shell shocked over what had just happened. Shaking her head, she chuckled over what she called "typical Natsuki fashion" as she too went to bed.

"Part of me fears what she's planning, but the rest of me just wants her to have that expression always on her face," Shizuru admitted as she snuggled into the sheets.

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><p><strong>Just a question... do you think this is a bit slow?<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**I know this is, like, super super short. But I wanted to get this tidbit out. I haven't quite figured out what will happen in Tokyo yet and I want it to be exactly the way I want it.**

**And so, you get this.  
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><p>Natsuki was awake and sitting on the couch with her laptop open when Shizuru got up. She offered the brunette a smile and clicked away on the laptop before turning it off and setting it aside. Shizuru eyed her suspiciously before disappearing in the bathroom. Her suspicions were only intensified when she heard Natsuki laugh at her.<p>

Showering quickly, Shizuru walked out wearing just her towel and ignored Natsuki completely on the way back to the bedroom. If she had looked, she might have caught the quick once-over Natsuki did before catching herself and, blushing, pointedly looking in the other direction.

"Pack an overnight bag!" Natsuki called once she heard the door close. Shizuru opened the door, and stepped back out, looking at Natsuki with a brow raised in question. "It's a surprise. Come on, Shizuru! I told you, we're doing something special. Now hurry up or we'll be running behind."

Shizuru huffed, her mouth forming into a perfect pout, which Natsuki just chuckled at. Feeling defeated, the brunette went back into the room and dressed quickly. Unsure of what her Natsuki had planned, she wore comfortable jeans and a three-quarter sleeve blouse before frowning over what to pack. Wanting to be prepared, she folded one of her dressy skirts and a matching blouse to pack should dinner be a little more… more. And then she found another pair of jeans and a couple blouses to fold and pack. Once she had underwear packed (she always packed for an extra day as a precaution), she lifted the duffel and joined Natsuki in the other room.

"I'm packed, Natsuki," Shizuru said, still looking at her as though trying to telepathically learn of the plans she had made. Natsuki grinned and stood up, picking up her bag and grabbing Shizuru's from her.

"Just in time, the cab just arrived," she said, walking past Shizuru and opening the door. Shocked at the planning Natsuki seemed to have done, Shizuru silently left the apartment and, after the apartment was locked up, followed Natsuki outside to the apartment.

The cab stopped at the station, and Natsuki paid the driver before getting out and retrieving the luggage while Shizuru got out of the cab and frowned; where was Natsuki going to take them?

"Natsuki…" Shizuru started, but was interrupted by the blunette grabbing her hand and pulling her forward. Their hands stayed together.

"Come on, the train leaves soon. I really don't want to have to wait for the next one, or we won't get there in time to really enjoy the afternoon," Natsuki said. Shizuru smiled at the enthusiasm in Natsuki's voice and decided to just go along with her whims.

"Ara, is Natsuki so eager to have me all to herself in an unknown location?" Shizuru teased, pleased to see the tint of Natsuki's cheeks darken.

Natsuki coughed. "Well… yeah. You know, I just want to spend time with you. I hate when you leave for a long time, so…"

Shizuru was touched by the admission, focusing on Natsuki and missing the opportunity to see what their destination would be as Natsuki handed a man her I.D. and received their tickets. It wasn't until they were approaching the train that Shizuru decided to look around.

"Tokyo?" she asked, seeing one of the signs.

"Yeah, I thought it would be cool. Our hotel is in a recreational area, so we'll have a lot of places within walking distance to hang out and have fun if we don't feel like going too far."

"Natsuki thought about all that?"

"Mhm. I don't want you to be bored, you know? We can go anywhere you want, if you're not interested in the places close to the hotel," Natsuki told her, pulling her onto the train and sitting her down before pushing the bags under the seat and sitting next to her. "Have you been to Tokyo?"

"A few times, though not for recreation. My family used to go a lot for business, and I would end up being brought along," Shizuru explained.

"I thought you might have been there. I've never gone, so I don't really know too much about the city. I've never really left Fuuka."

Shizuru snuggled up to Natsuki, her head on the blunette's shoulder. Natsuki shifted to get comfortable, her arm going around Shizuru's waist.

"It's a bit of a ride," Natsuki said. "I thought about going somewhere closer, but I really wanted to take you away for a night."

"Thank you, Natsuki."


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry I've been... distracted away from this fandom. I'm sure those of you on author alert have been just glaring at every story update you don't care about, because I had over twenty chapters just fly off my fingertips for another fandom while I'm struggling with this one.  
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**Anyway, this isn't my greatest chapter. It feels a little incomplete throughout the chapter, but... I really just wanted to lead up to what happens at the end somehow and I don't think I did it any justice.**

**Still, I really wanted it to happen in this chapter...  
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**Enjoy.  
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><p>It was early afternoon when the two arrived in Tokyo and Natsuki quickly called for a cab so they could go to the hotel. They decided they would check in and drop off their bags before going and having a late lunch before looking around the area to see if there was something they wanted to do this evening on that side of town or if they wanted to go to another area.<p>

Natsuki opened the door to the room and led Shizuru in, grinning as she dropped her bag at the foot of the single queen sized bed that sat in the middle of the room.

"What do you think?" she asked. "I know it's not really extravagant, but since we're just staying for one night it didn't seem like we'd have a need for something with more amenities."

Shizuru smiled, though she eyed the bed warily. "I think this is fine, Natsuki." She turned to Natsuki and brightened at the proud look on her face. "Thank you for putting this together. This was a wonderful idea."

Natsuki nodded and took Shizuru's bag, dropping it by hers before making sure the room key was secured in her pocket before dragging Shizuru out. "Come on, I'm starving! Let's go see if there's a place to eat we can agree on close by."

Shizuru laughed and followed the blunette from the hotel.

Lunch was followed by a walk until they were both far too cold to stay outdoors any longer and walked into a movie theater. Shizuru eyed the titles, wondering which one they could agree on. She was surprised when Natsuki walked up to the counter and asked for two tickets to the romance movie that she would enjoy but Natsuki would likely be bored through.

When she started to say anything, Natsuki just put up a finger and smirked. "You can't tell me that isn't the movie you were looking forward to seeing." Unable to deny that and be truthful and Natsuki knew it she just shook her head and let her get those tickets.

Once they were in line for drinks, because they were still too full for snacks but couldn't deny their desire for something to drink for the show, Shizuru confronted Natsuki on the movie.

"Ara, you didn't have to pick something for me. I'm sure we could have agreed on something that we both would have enjoyed," she commented.

Natsuki shrugged. "You wanted to see this one, and the others that I would have liked you'd have absolutely hated, and there's a chance I'll enjoy this one just as much as any of the others. Just, don't let the others know any of that. They'll tease me about it, and I don't really enjoy their teasing."

"Does that mean Natsuki enjoys my teasing?" Shizuru asked, her tone teasing while her heart begged for the answer to be yes. She watched Natsuki's cheeks color as she shrugged.

"How about we share a drink?" she asked, changing the topic and causing Shizuru to smile. That was an answer on its own, she decided.

"Sounds good to me," she answered, slipping a hand under Natsuki's arm to hold onto her elbow. She expected to feel Natsuki tense up from the contact, but the only reaction she got was a surprised twitch and a smile. It was their turn in the line and Shizuru was asked what she wanted to drink before Natsuki ordered.

Sitting down, Shizuru receive another surprise when Natsuki put the drink on Shizuru's other side, lifted the bar between the two of them, and sat close to put an arm around her.

_Ara, perhaps this will turn out better than I imagined,_ Shizuru thought to herself before her rational side told her this was probably nothing and she shouldn't get her hopes up.

After the movie, the walked down the street and stopped in at an arcade. Natsuki let Shizuru look around before choosing a game and teaching her how to play first by example, and then my standing behind her and guiding her. They did this for a few games until Natsuki ran out of small bills and coins and they had to move on.

"Thank you, Natsuki," Shizuru said softly, snuggled up in the blunette's side as they tried to keep warm on the walk back towards the hotel. They had decided they'd order a pizza when they got back, wanting nothing more than to get back and warm up without having to go back into the cold this evening.

"It's nothing," Natsuki replied. "I just wanted to do something for you. You've done so much for me, Shizuru. You were the only person on my side backing me up for the longest time, supporting me and making sure I wasn't alone… I just want to make sure that you know you're not alone either. Just like I have you, you have me too, no matter what happens."

Shizuru closed her eyes to stifle the tears, not wanting them to freeze against her cheek. "Still… thank you."

Natsuki stopped and turned Shizuru, looking down at her with steely confidence in her eyes. "I… Shizuru, I love you. I really, truly love you, and I would do anything to make sure you understand just how much."

"Natsuki…"

Natsuki's face softened and she leaned forward to press their foreheads together, noting with a little disdain that she was still shorter than the other woman but quickly pushing that thought away.

"I love you, Shizuru."

Shizuru's eyes closed, but she was unable to stop the tears this time. Natsuki pulled her against her body, holding her as she cried silently. Shizuru was overwhelmed by the strength of those words, unsure of what Natsuki meant but hoping beyond hope that she meant them the way Shizuru hoped.

"Shizuru…"

Shizuru sniffled and pulled away to look up into Natsuki's eyes.

"Shizuru, can we… continue to the hotel? I… hadn't meant to get so emotional out here, because it's cold, but…" Natsuki shrugged, a little embarrassed now that she'd been so open. "I just thought you needed to hear that now, because you were thanking me for doing something I wanted to do and I just wanted you to understand."

Shizuru giggled and snuggled into Natsuki's side. "Yes, we can go back to the hotel."

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><p><strong>Hope that wasn't too forced and that you enjoyed the chapter despite how much I think it sucks... The next chapter shouldn't be nearly as long to come, but I don't know for sure. The other fandom I've been playing in has poisoned my mind and I'm having trouble leaving those girls alone so that I can play with these girls.<br>**

**Pay me with reviews, because I'm not getting any monetary rewards for this and need something to motivate me. ;)  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7

Back in the hotel room, Natsuki walked over to the bed and propped up against the headboard, legs straight out in front of her with the remote in hand clicking through channels. Shizuru grabbed her bag and made her way to the bathroom to bathe before bed. As soon as the bathroom door shut, Natsuki shifted awkwardly. When Shizuru returned, they'd be lying in bed together. They'd be sleeping together tonight. And less than half an hour ago, Natsuki confessed that she loved Shizuru, who has been in love with her for…

Natsuki frowned. How long has Shizuru loved her? It's been over two years. They've known each other for almost six, but there's no way she's been in love with her for that long… right?

She snorted and resumed channel surfing. Nah, Shizuru couldn't have loved her that long. They barely knew each other. How could she have known it was love if she didn't even know who the hell she was?

Natsuki, on the other hand, knew she felt more than friendship for Shizuru shortly after the older girl graduated from high school and Natsuki couldn't just pop into the Student Council room every time she felt like seeing her.

Realizing that she was still in her cold and slightly wet pants, Natsuki jumped up and dug out her pajamas from her bag and started to change into the shorts and t-shirt. She laid out the pants so that the bottoms could dry, and then turned down the blankets on the bed.

_I am far too nervous,_ she grumbled to herself. It's not like they were going to do anything! What did she have to be nervous about? Besides, she was Natsuki! She was never nervous!

She frowned. Okay, so she has been nervous before… but those were different circumstances! This was just sleeping in the same bed as Shizuru for one night. Though, that one night may easily become every night... and Natsuki found that she actually enjoyed the idea of sleeping next to Shizuru. She'd never be alone again, that's for sure. And the fact that it was Shizuru...

Natsuki was grinning at the bed when Shizuru emerged from the bathroom.

"Ara, is Natsuki thinking of the ecchi things she's going to do to me in bed tonight?" Shizuru teased, still drying her hair with the towel.

Natsuki's grin immediately disappeared, and her eyes widened as she looked up at Shizuru. "N-n-no! I, uh… I was just… I mean… Gah! I was just thinking about how nice it will be to sleep next to you, all right?" she admitted gruffly, her face turning bright red and her eyes darting off to the side.

Shizuru walked over to the bed, her own cheeks a little red as well. "It will be nice to be able to sleep next to Natsuki and not feel guilty about wanting to touch you."

"Shizuru…" Natsuki whispered. Shizuru looked up and smiled, which made Natsuki smile and her face soften. "Then, don't feel guilty if you want to touch me. I don't mind, so long as we… I mean, I don't want to… you know… just yet." Her face turned red again, and Shizuru giggled.

"As Natsuki wishes," she teased. "Would it be fine if we just cuddled tonight?"

Natsuki nodded. "That sounds great." She slid into bed and settled in, going back to her channel surfing, while Shizuru went back into the bathroom to hang up the towel before coming back and slipping into bed next to Natsuki. There was an awkward moment, and then Natsuki huffed and turned off the TV to settle in and holding Shizuru closer.

"Okini," Shizuru whispered.

Natsuki kissed her forehead. "Anything for you, Shizuru."

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><p><strong>I know, it's short as hell. But, I needed a little fluffy transitional piece before they're back in Fuuka. And it didn't seem right to continue this chapter from that little moment.<strong>

**For some reason, I just feel like going "Aww... XD"**


	8. Chapter 8

**I started this chapter four times, hated it every time, and then realized I was trying to skip too much time between the last chapter and this one. As such, I give you more fluff just because they were too cute not to do it.**

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><p>The train ride back to Fuuka was spent distracted by stolen kisses, light conversation, and innocent caresses by none other than Natsuki herself. Shizuru had all but latched herself onto Natsuki since they boarded the train, snuggled up into her side happily, and Natsuki did nothing to remove her.<p>

Once back home, they became almost shy as they separated into separate rooms to drop their bags and regroup. Shizuru emerged first, immediately going to make tea while Natsuki tried to pump herself up to make the day just as special as the trip had been. The last thing she wanted was for Shizuru to think that now they were back that things were back to the way they were before. And she wouldn't put it past her to believe Natsuki had done everything during the trip to make Shizuru's dreams come true only for her to wake up now.

Sighing but no closer to feeling confident, Natsuki walked out of her room and walked to the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a grin as she watched Shizuru move around.

Shizuru smiled at her. "Can I help my Natsuki?"

"Nah, I'm just enjoying you," Natsuki replied, her cheeks warming just a little at the admission. Shizuru giggled and walked over to lean into the blunette.

"I was afraid you'd take it all back, that I'd have to wake up now," Shizuru murmured. "I suppose I should have had more faith in Natsuki."

Natsuki wrapped her arms around the brunette. "Yeah, you should have. You aren't dreaming, Shizuru. My feelings are real, just as yours are."

Shizuru hummed with content. Then she frowned. "My mother will be in town tomorrow." Natsuki let that sink in. "I told her I'd be happy to meet her for lunch, and that I'd talk to you about meeting her."

"I'd be glad to," Natsuki answered. "Tomorrow is the day before Christmas Eve."

"It is. I suppose that is part of the reason my mother would like to see me." Natsuki hummed. "If you don't want to join us for lunch, I certainly won't blame you."

"No, I want to go."

The tea kettle started to whistle, so Shizuru pulled away from Natsuki to turn back to her task. Natsuki watched for a few seconds before turning and going to sit on the couch, the TV turned on almost as soon as she was seated. Shizuru walked in with two mugs of tea and sat with her. A video game was started, and Natsuki offered Shizuru the controller.

"Would you like to give it another shot?" she offered.

Shizuru shook her head. "I'm content to watch Natsuki play. I enjoy seeing Natsuki having fun."

"All right, but don't hesitate if you want to play at some point," Natsuki told her. "You're also welcome to go get a book. If you don't want to read one of yours, I actually have a small collection in my room."

Shizuru raised an eyebrow. "Ara, and what, pray tell, would I find in your collection to read?"

"You might be surprised," Natsuki teased, grinning even as the boss she was fighting started to kick her ass. She pressed the buttons more ferociously but didn't lose the grin. "I have a decent variety, though most are science fiction and historical fiction."

"Historical fiction," Shizuru repeated, surprised.

"Yeah, like with emperors and samurai and stuff. A few of them have strong romantic plots, though I have to admit most of those have been recent additions. I have one that's actually a rather sad romance set during World War 2 in there."

Shizuru studied her girlfriend – she was almost giddy as she realized that was a very accurate description now – as she considered what the blunette had admitted.

"I prefer the sciences, you know, but history is pretty cool. Just, don't tell Midori I said that or I'll never get her to leave me alone."

That made Shizuru laugh, and their eyes met briefly before Natsuki focused on her game again. She'd lost to the boss and was getting ready to try again. Entertained, Shizuru sipped her tea and watched as Natsuki proved herself capable and narrowly defeated him this time.

"Still, I would never have guessed you might like history," Shizuru continued now that Natsuki was a little more relaxed with her game. "I knew you like mathematics and the technology classes, but I never considered history."

Natsuki chuckled, not surprised that Shizuru couldn't let this go. "I think I am mostly fascinated by early history. Samurais are just so fricking cool, you know? And then the disaster that was created by the arrival of guns in Japan was pretty fascinating."

"So Natsuki wouldn't mind going to museums with me?"

"Nah, we could go sometime. I might even surprise you with some more tidbits of information," she replied, offering the other woman a wink. "We'll have to go when school starts up again so we can get the discount. I don't mind paying money to do things, but I'll have to redo my budget soon."

Shizuru frowned; that's true, she was relying heavily on Natsuki right now. She was liable to get a small allowance through her mother, but it wouldn't be large in order to keep from arousing her father's suspicions.

"Whatever you're thinking, stop. It's not that big of a deal, I just have to account for a few more groceries and maybe the utilities. Trust me, my father makes sure there's plenty sent over for me. His wife is some big shot lawyer and he's got a rather big position with Honda. They don't mind making sure I'm taken care of."

"I would still like to know I was doing something to contribute…" Shizuru said softly.

"You've been cooking, right?" Natsuki pointed out. "And I know you'll end up doing some cleaning because we both know Mai's been the one doing that and not me."

They chuckled at that. Natsuki paused the game and set aside the controller to focus on Shizuru.

"What makes you think you have to do anything? Do you not realize how much you've done for me already?"

Shizuru lowered her eyes. "Nothing feels like it's enough to repay Natsuki for what she's done for me, though."

Natsuki snorted, earning her a small glare. "Fine, we'll come with something later, okay? Right now, don't worry about anything and let me do what I need to in order to take care of you."

"Okini."

Natsuki took Shizuru's mug and set it down before pulling the brunette over to her, wrapping her arms around her. "Like I said, anything for you."


	9. Chapter 9

**So, I originally typed this one night when I was pretty much dead asleep (I took 10 mg of melatonin two hours previous) and decided not to post it right away. Several days later, I open it to look it over because I couldn't remember a damn bit of it, and realized it wasn't that bad. I was going to post it, only to realize no one paid the cable bill so we had no Internet... Luckily that's been taken care of somehow, and you can now have another chapter! :D**

**I hope this doesn't disappoint...**

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><p>Natsuki was pacing in her bedroom wearing a pair of lacey boy shorts and a matching bra, both a dark red color. Sitting on her bed were two types of jeans and three different choices to wear as tops – a band tee that would require her to wear her leather jacket, a red silk button-up and long sleeved under armor combo, and a long sleeved sweatshirt with Tokyo University's logo on it.<p>

"I'm meeting my girlfriend's mom," Natsuki mumbled, stopping and staring at the choices again. "I think the tee will have to go. I wish I had done my laundry recently… Man, I really wish I'd shop for clothes more often instead of focusing on lingerie so much." She groaned and sat on her bed, not having heard or seen her door open.

"Ara, but Natsuki looks very good in her lingerie choices," Shizuru teased, causing Natsuki to jump to her feet and look at Shizuru in surprise.

"Shizuru!"

"Are you having trouble figuring out what to wear?" the brunette asked, even as her eyes wandered over Natsuki's figure. They still slept in separate rooms, not wanting to push their luck with their desire for each other, mostly because Natsuki was still getting comfortable with the idea of intimacy despite her feelings for her best friend-turned-girlfriend.

"Ah, yeah, I am…" Natsuki admitted with a furious blush, trying not to cover herself shyly. She decided last night to not be quite as shy. After all, she appreciated looking at Shizuru so why couldn't Shizuru appreciate looking at her? At least, that's what she'd told herself to psych herself into it. Now, she was realizing exactly how hard it was to keep that in mind as she fought with the urge to cover up.

Shizuru, deciding to cut Natsuki some slack, and to try and calm her libido looked down at the clothing that Natsuki had laid out. "You haven't had a chance to do laundry recently again have you," she teased as she ran a finger over the silk shirt and under armor combo. "I like this here. It will be warm if anything with the under shirt."

Natsuki hummed in agreement and slid the under armor shirt on before pulling on her darker blue jeans and tucking the shirt in. "I'm really nervous, Shizuru."

"There's no reason to be, Natsuki. My mother will love you, I assure you."

"I hope so. I don't want her to get upset with you for choosing me, too, you know?"

Shizuru slipped her arms around Natsuki's waist and rested her cheek on her shoulder. "I have no doubt that Natsuki would keep her from being so. You're a very warm and loveable person when you want to be. I have faith in you."

Natsuki chuckled. "I'm glad one of us does."

Shizuru pulled away and gave the blunette a playful smack, causing both to laugh lightly.

"Are you ready, then, Shizuru?"

"I believe so," Shizuru answered, suddenly sounding nervous. Natsuki raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, don't start with me. I have faith in you. I'm just a little less sure of my mother. I'm sure she'll love you and be happy that you are who I have fallen for, but there is still that chance and I can't help but be afraid."

Natsuki pulled Shizuru back against her and kissed her forehead gently. "We'll be fine. Now, let's go before we're late, all right?"

Shizuru nodded, and the two made their way out of the apartment.

Shizuru had immediately taken hold of Natsuki's hand once they were seated and waiting for Shizuru's mother to arrive. They had chosen a mediocre restaurant that was well liked and was, strangely, one of Shizuru's mother's favorite places when she was in Fuuka, as rare as those trips were any more.

When the woman arrived, Shizuru tightened her hold on Natsuki's hand.

"Ara, Mama, it's good to see you," Shizuru said with a gentle but true smile.

"It's good to see you as well, Shizuru, though it has only been a few days. Are you adjusting well enough?" she asked, giving her daughter a warm hug.

Shizuru nodded. "Mama, this is Natsuki Kuga, my girlfriend. Natsuki, meet my mother Keiko Fujino."

Natsuki offered a low bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Keiko laughed. "Natsuki, please, there's no need for you to be so formal! We're having a casual lunch. And, call me Keiko. Or, if you'd prefer, you may also call me Mama." Natsuki's face warmed a little but she gave her a smile and sat back down. "Shizuru, you certainly have wonderful taste. Natsuki is so adorable."

"Yes, she most certainly is!" Shizuru agreed enthusiastically, looking at Natsuki with a bit of mischief in her eyes. Natsuki eyed her suspiciously. Luckily for her, she thought, when her phone rang.

"Ah, please excuse me," Natsuki said, standing and shooting Shizuru an apologetic look. "My friend is calling."

Shizuru nodded and smiled. "It's fine, Natsuki. I'm assuming it is Mai, and it will give me a chance to speak with my mother for a moment alone, yes?"

Natsuki nodded and turned to Keiko. "Please excuse me." She answered the phone as she walked away. "Oi, what do you need?"

"I want to get everyone together tomorrow," Mai said quickly.

Natsuki frowned. "I thought you were visiting Tate's family?"

"I was, but I wanted to spend the holidays with my family, and you guys are all my family."

"Holidays?"

There was a moment of silence. "You forgot about Christmas again, didn't you?" It wasn't really a question, and they both knew it despite the tone that suggested it was. "Natsuki! Really, how is it that you forget any important date? Well, other than Shizuru's birthday and I suppose you remembered mine this year as well… But really, forgetting Christmas every year?"

"Hey, I had other things on my mind!"

"It's the winter break, Natsuki. You should have remembered the holiday just because of the time of year it falls around."

Natsuki refused to comment on that.

"Come on! Just say you'll show up tomorrow, okay?"

Natsuki sighed. "Fine, Shizuru and I will be there."

"Shizuru is back in town already? I thought she wasn't going to be here for break at all. You even sulked for two weeks once you found out she'd be gone."

"She had some problems. Look, it's not my place to tell so don't ask me what happened. Actually, try not to mention it at all. I don't want to upset her."

Mai agreed, and once the time was set and agreed on they ended the conversation and Natsuki returned to the table where she apologized again and sat down.

"Ara, you have returned!" Shizuru said with a bright smile. "What did Mai want to speak to you about?"

"She's having a party tomorrow," Natsuki answered, "to celebrate the holidays with her family, meaning we're pretty much expected or else."

Shizuru giggled and gave Natsuki's forearm a gentle pat. "That sounds like fun. But, what do you mean by 'or else?'"

"Last year I tried to skip out because she didn't remind me it was Christmas and they ended up invading my apartment. If I'd known it was a holiday, I wouldn't have tried to skip."

"You didn't realize it was Christmas?" Keiko asked, incredulous.

Natsuki shrugged. "Shizuru was the only person I really had to spend any holidays with for a while, and last year she wasn't here for winter break so it didn't occur to me that it was Christmas." Sensing the somber atmosphere, Natsuki smiled. "So, what are we eating?"

"I think my mother really enjoyed your company," Shizuru said as they lay out in Natsuki's bed, still dressed and staring at the ceiling from atop the covers. After lunch they walked around a bit talking and window shopping. When dinner time rolled around, they ate something quick before Keiko had to catch her train to go back to Kyoto.

Natsuki grunted. "I liked her, so I hope she wasn't bored of me."

Shizuru hummed. "Did you really forget tomorrow was Christmas?"

"Yep, I did, so don't expect a present tomorrow from me," Natsuki teased. Shizuru laughed and turned to snuggle into Natsuki's side. "I love you, Shizuru."

"Mm, I love you too, my Natsuki."


	10. Chapter 10

**I know, it took me long enough... I got distracted by Rizzoli & Isles fanfiction and rewatching the first two seasons in preparation for season 3. And then I started working again (whoo-hoo!), which was immediately followed by...**

**Actually, I'm sure you don't want to hear my life's story. Suffice it to say, I got distracted. And since one of the many distractions is summer classes at college on top of my job, this whole updating thing will still be a lot more sporadic.**

**Plus, I'm kind of struggling with how I'm going to get to the massive fun with Daddy Fujino...**

**Anyways, here's chapter 10, so enjoy! :D**

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><p>Natsuki woke up early to do laundry, or at least a little bit of it. Since it was just going to be friends at the party, she didn't care about wearing something less than desirable in comparison to meeting her girlfriend's mother, but she couldn't get away with that for too long. Eventually she'd run out of things to wear. She left Shizuru alone while she walked down the stairs to the laundry room with only a note left behind and taped to her door to tell Shizuru what she was doing.<p>

It was a little past one when Natsuki appeared in the apartment again and dropped the two baskets of clothes in her room before going to the kitchen where she could smell what Shizuru was cooking.

"Mm, smells delicious," Natsuki commented, wrapping her arms around Shizuru's waist and burying her face in Shizuru's neck. "You smell good too."

Shizuru giggled and leaned back into Natsuki. "Okini, my Natsuki. I'm just about done with lunch, so why don't you get the table set?"

Natsuki hummed and planted a tender kiss on Shizuru's neck before pulling away and reaching into a cupboard to pull out two plates. She didn't miss the tremor of Shizuru's body as she pulled away, and smiled inwardly. Although they weren't exactly ready for a lot of intimacy, Natsuki still found herself amused by some of the reactions Shizuru had to her. Not to mention, the actions were quite fun for her as well. And, Shizuru's paybacks weren't too big a price to pay if Natsuki did something too drastic.

Once the table was set, Natsuki returned to the kitchen and leaned against the counter to watch Shizuru put the finishing touches on the dish, probably trying to make it look like a work of art just because she could. It was endearing, Natsuki thought, despite the fact that it can take forever for Shizuru to get the "art" just the way she wants it. Still, it was something that Shizuru liked to do so Natsuki didn't complain too much.

"Shizuru…" Natsuki whined. She had just carried laundry up three flights of stairs and had chosen not to eat anything for breakfast, so she was starving. It was pretty much the only reason she ever complained about how long it was taking for Shizuru to put together the finishing touches.

Shizuru looked over her shoulder to see Natsuki pouting and giggled. "Ara, is my cute little Natsuki-puppy hungry?"

Natsuki narrowed her eyes. "Yes."

Surprised by the straightforward answer without any complaints to how she had been referred, Shizuru wasn't sure how to respond. She hadn't prepared for Natsuki to respond with an affirmative without complaining about being called a puppy as she had done in the past. She turned back to the meal to lift it to take it to the table, missing Natsuki's short-lived smirk. It wasn't often that the blunette was able to one-up the older woman.

Trying not to look pleased, Natsuki followed Shizuru to the table. On impulse, she pulled out a chair and motioned for Shizuru to sit, taking pride in the light blush and shy, appreciative smile on her face as she did sit down. Natsuki moved to sit down as well, and waited for Shizuru to serve herself, watching with a glint of amusement in her eyes.

"Ara, Natsuki seems to be plotting something," Shizuru teased, looking just as amused.

"Maybe," Natsuki commented with a shrug. "Or, maybe I just like watching you."

Shizuru was really feeling unbalanced now, another light blush appearing on her cheeks at Natsuki's words. It was strange to hear the openness of Natsuki's comments, as though the tables have turned. In fact, Shizuru was still getting used to the fact that Natsuki did truly return her feelings.

Natsuki shot her a wink and reached forward, serving Shizuru, because she seemed frozen, and then serving herself. "I'm surprised you didn't want tea."

"I haven't been drinking water lately because of the weather, and I think I'm becoming slightly dehydrated," Shizuru explained, taking a sip of the glass in front of her. She eyed Natsuki as she looked at her glass with a little disdain. "Ara, you're looking at that glass like it has offended you."

"I don't drink water unless I'm being active and am really thirsty," Natsuki mumbled. "I didn't really consider dehydration, since I haven't really felt like drinking much more than tea or hot chocolate myself." She sipped at the dark liquid and sighed. "And when I drink anything cold it's always a dark soda."

Shizuru smiled. "Natsuki was always good with her health courses. I would have thought you would have been more conscientious of your liquid consumption. Though, I suppose if you wouldn't give up mayonnaise after all your health courses then not changing your soda consumption as well shouldn't come as a surprise."

Natsuki grunted and stood up with her glass in hand, going to the kitchen and putting the glass inside the fridge and getting a glass of water. "I'll just drink the soda later, then," she mumbled, cheeks a little pink as she walked back to the table to sit down.

They ate lunch quietly as they were content to enjoy each other's presence. Though, Natsuki was considered the party they would be going to later, while Shizuru was still ecstatic to be with the blunette in any capacity and hoped that would never change. She found Natsuki's expressions to be utterly adorable, and considered telling her just that.

When they had finished and had cleaned up, Shizuru snuggled into Natsuki's side in a hug as soon as they had sat down. Natsuki shifted so that the older girl was all but on top of her, and wrapped her arms around her with a fond sigh.

"Natsuki is just too adorable," Shizuru mumbled, her eyes closed and a content hum following the statement. Natsuki snorted and reached for the TV remote to find something to watch, nor at least fill the space with noise while they relaxed together.

After a few minutes of various thoughts, which were quite scattered compared to Shizuru's usual fare, the brunette lifted herself to meet Natsuki's eyes with vague fear and concern.

"Is something wrong, Shizuru?"

"Natsuki, what will we do if my father wants to see me?"

"Then we'll go see him."

Natsuki was surprised to see the fear almost deepen before Shizuru looked away, getting up and heading for her room.

"Shizuru?"

"I don't think I would want you to be there, Natsuki…"

"What?" Natsuki sat up a little. "Why wouldn't you want me there? I don't want you to see him alone, he could try something!"

"He'll try something if you're there."

"So? At least then I'll still be there so I can protect you, even if it's just by being there." Natsuki got up and walked over to the brunette, wrapping her arms around her. "Shizuru, I don't want you to deal with all of this alone."

Shizuru leaned against Natsuki. "Natsuki… There are things I need to tell you about my father."

"All right, we can talk about them."

Shizuru shook her head. "Not tonight. We're about to go see all of your friends, and I'd like you to be in good spirits. I'm sorry for doing this now."

"You don't ever have to hide things from me, Shizuru," Natsuki whispered. "If you can't talk to me about something right away, at least let me know you'll tell me someday soon. You don't ever have to sensor yourself again."

"Thank you, Natsuki."

Natsuki planted a kiss to her temple. "You're always welcome, Shizuru."

They stood there for a few more seconds before Shizuru giggled.

"Oi! What's so funny?"

"Natsuki is being so adorable!"

"Ack! Shizuru!"

Laughter ensued from Shizuru, and Natsuki pouted with an intense blush as she walked back to the couch and dropped down onto the cushions, taking up the far corner and crossing her arms over her chest for further effect. Not that this helped, of course, as Shizuru only found her even more adorable and all but tackled her to emphasize just how adorable she found her.


End file.
